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Murder retrial set to begin

Murder defendant Phillip Brock watches the proceedings at the Bay County Courthouse in Panama City during his first trial in September.

Andrew P. Johnson / The News Herald

By CHRIS OLWELL / The News Herald

Published: Monday, November 11, 2013 at 06:04 PM.

PANAMA CITY — Jury selection begins Tuesday for the retrial of a Fountain man accused of killing a neighbor in his home and stealing his property.

A jury deliberated more than six hours in Phillip Brock’s first trial on a count of murder. When they deadlocked, Judge Brantley Clark declared a mistrial.

Brock, 57, is looking at life in prison if convicted this time around of allegedly binding 65-year-old Terry Brazil’s hands before beating, stabbing and shooting him to death in December 2012.

During the first trial in August, prosecutor Larry Basford painted Brock as a perpetually broke man who relied heavily on support from friends, neighbors and girlfriends until he killed Brazil and stole thousands of dollars worth of guns and collectable coins.

Several witnesses talked about how Brock lived in a trailer with no electricity or running water, and his landlord said Brock had offered to sell him silver coins before Brazil’s body was found.

Brock disputed most of the evidence against him when he testified. He and Brazil were friends with a business relationship, so he occasionally stored Brazil’s property at his home. Deputies found several guns, coins and Brazil’s car at Brock’s home.

The defense pointed out that some nights when Brock visited Brazil, he would have too much to drink and sleep it off at his friend’s home, so it made sense deputies with the Sheriff’s Office found his DNA inside the home.

PANAMA CITY — Jury selection begins Tuesday for the retrial of a Fountain man accused of killing a neighbor in his home and stealing his property.

A jury deliberated more than six hours in Phillip Brock’s first trial on a count of murder. When they deadlocked, Judge Brantley Clark declared a mistrial.

Brock, 57, is looking at life in prison if convicted this time around of allegedly binding 65-year-old Terry Brazil’s hands before beating, stabbing and shooting him to death in December 2012.

During the first trial in August, prosecutor Larry Basford painted Brock as a perpetually broke man who relied heavily on support from friends, neighbors and girlfriends until he killed Brazil and stole thousands of dollars worth of guns and collectable coins.

Several witnesses talked about how Brock lived in a trailer with no electricity or running water, and his landlord said Brock had offered to sell him silver coins before Brazil’s body was found.

Brock disputed most of the evidence against him when he testified. He and Brazil were friends with a business relationship, so he occasionally stored Brazil’s property at his home. Deputies found several guns, coins and Brazil’s car at Brock’s home.

The defense pointed out that some nights when Brock visited Brazil, he would have too much to drink and sleep it off at his friend’s home, so it made sense deputies with the Sheriff’s Office found his DNA inside the home.

Deputies also found Brock’s DNA on several key pieces of evidence, including a roll of duct tape and a broken bedpost that may or may not have been used to beat Brazil. Those items were found in the woods.

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